Home
by Padfoot's Pawprint
Summary: "Welcome home," she said, her smile warm. Cloud smiled back. "I am home." His home. And the words sounded perfect to him.  a little something for Cloud and Tifa. What did Cloud decide to do right after the battle? Did he really go home with the others?


**Final Fantasy: Advent's Children Fanfic (Cloud/Tifa)**

**So yeah, hi there. um, so basically I was home all day and i watched Final Fantasy: Advent Children... 4 times. i was bored.**

**Don't get me wrong, i love the movie and the ending was sweet but i wanted a little more. This fic is just a little after the ending of the movie. Like, it eclipses the last few minutes but that's about it.**

**It's about Cloud and what he does after the battle.**

**Please enjoy. Arigato.**

**Disclaimer: i do not own final fantasy :'(**

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><p><em><strong>Home<strong>_

It was over. The cloudy skies had been replaced with brilliant sunlight and the occasional downpour of rain. As the children splashed in the water, their geostigma floated away, like mist or steam. They laughed as their bodies were cleaned and purified from the stigma and Cloud smiled. Children... he'd missed their laughter and their smiles. He didn't quite know why, but he adored children. Perhaps it was their innocence or their lack of bloodlust, who knows, but Cloud adored children. He spotted Marlene dancing with Denzel, splashing him with the cool water like it was their first time to ever come in contact with the liquid. His heart ached to be that young; to be able to play with a friend in such a carefree manner... It was impossible for him now. He had changed so much...

And then he saw Aeris. His world seemed to slow down in that one moment. She turned and said, "You see? Everything's alright." She smiled a small smile before turning and walking off into the light, Zack by her side. Cloud yearned to run to them, to hold them back, to stop them from leaving but he knew he couldn't. He knew that Aeris was right. That everything _was_ alright. It was. _I know, _thought Cloud_, I'm not alone. Not anymore._

It was the truth. The beautiful yet frightening truth.

Yes, he was no longer alone, but would that hurt the others? Would it hurt Barret or Cid or Yuffie or Marlene or Denzel or Vincent?

Would it hurt Tifa?

A sudden splash of water hit Cloud's face and he blinked at it, startled. Tifa started laughing and tilted her head to the side. "You cooled off yet?" she had been the one to splash water in his face, an effective distraction.

Cloud nodded and smiled a bit. Tifa grinned back and his heart felt a little lighter. She had helped him so much. He doubted he'd ever be able to repay her. Never in a million years. "Whenever you're ready." She said, leaning against one of the remaining posts and Cloud understood what she meant. Whenever he was ready to go, they'd go back. They'd go home.

Cloud took a look around the church. It was very much broken down and totally destroyed. He had called it his home for the last year and a half. The other half of the year was spent at the bar with Tifa and, to be honest, he'd missed those days. A lot. It had been a lot less complicated with Tifa and the kids. A lot more relaxed and carefree. Cloud hoped that those days would return when he came home.

Home... He would be blessed to have a place like that. He'd always been moving, never letting go of the things he once had; staying in the church to be close to Aeris; keeping his phone to be close to Tifa. Everything he had done was contrary to what he said he wanted.

_I wish to be alone_. He kept his memories close_._

_Don't talk to me_. He never forgot to keep his phone handy.

_I want to forget_. There is nothing he doesn't remember.

Absolute hypocrisy.

"Cloud?" He looked down at Marlene, who was sopping wet due to her mini water fight with Denzel, "Are you coming home with us?"

He looked at Denzel, who was also wet, but, more importantly, was smiling like he'd just won the lottery. (**A.N: if they have lotteries, that is**) "You did say you were coming, didn't you, Cloud?" he asked, his features wet and warm at the same time.

Cloud looked at his friends, who were all looking at him very expectantly. They didn't blame him for leaving, that much was shown in their caring features. Finally, he looked at Tifa, who was still leaning on the post. When she caught his eye, her dark eyes lit up and she smiled. And it is a smile that he missed dearly. A smile big enough and bright enough to make him forget why he was sad in the first place.

A smile that he wanted to see every day.

"Yeah, let's go home."

-F-I-N-A-L-F-A-N-T-A-S-Y-

Tifa and Cloud had sent the others ahead of them, seeing as Denzel and Marlene were desperate to show their friends their home. Tifa and Cloud lingered behind them all, walking at a slow pace that they both were comfortable with. Even though the lower half of Cloud's body had been wet, he wasn't leaving a trail of water behind him. Only a few faded foot prints.

"So how does it feel?"

Cloud looked down at Tifa curiously, "What do you mean?"

"I mean how does it feel?" Cloud frowned a little bit. Leave it to Tifa to totally confuse him. He thought a little more on it before he understood. A little bit.

"I told you how it felt. It feels light. I feel light." That was accurate, thought Cloud proudly.

Tifa nodded and smiled up at the sun. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Since?"

"Since we walked like this." Cloud felt a twinge of guilt. The last time they had walked alone, just the two of them... It had been near the end of June. Cloud had asked to take a walk with her, just the two of them. She'd agreed. He then he had told her that he'd leave them. That he'd never come back. That he'd continue being a delivery boy, and nothing else. That he'd never let them get hurt again.

Those words were all down the drain now, though. Both of them knew that while he left, he had never really forgotten them. And here he was, coming home, remaining their friend, remaining a family member.

"I'm sorry." Tifa looked at him curiously, her dark eyes innocent and devoid of judgement, which only made Cloud feel worse.

"For what?"

Cloud was quiet for a moment before answering, "For everything."

Tifa's eyes softened and Cloud looked away. The kindness and support he got from Tifa was always comforting. He suddenly felt a hand take his and he looked down at it. It was Tifa's. His eyes went up her arm to her face but she was staring straight ahead as if nothing had happened. "You're forgiven."

Cloud's heart swelled and he felt a rush of warmth go through his entire being. "Thank you." He breathed, squeezing her hand. Tifa looked over and him and bumped his shoulder affectionately.

"No problem. What are family for?" A small part in Cloud's head clicked. _Family..._

They continued walking, side by side, hand in hand, until they reached the bar. It stood tall and proud, the same, if not better, than Cloud last remembered it. Tifa smiled and walked through the tall doors, pulling Cloud with her.

He took a deep breath and sighed at the familiar scent. It was a mix of detergent and Tifa's natural smell; soap and sunlight, if sunlight had a smell. It was just fresh. He almost couldn't detect the faint smell of alcohol that lingered around the bar tables.

Their friends had all separated, sitting at different table, discussing the recent battle. When he walked in, there were many cheers that went around. Yuffie waved ecstatically while Vincent just nodded curtly in his direction. Denzel and Marlene raced down the stairs from their room and came to hug him. With their slight bodies against his, their arms around his waist, Cloud was reminded of the earlier times; the times when everything was in slow motion and he could enjoy every second of it.

Cid and Barret came up to him and congratulated him on his win, going into detail as Cloud hugged the kids. _His_ kids, he reminded himself. They were _his_ kids again. Just as the people that stood around him were _his_ friends.

And Tifa; Tifa, who stood apart from the group, Tifa, who never stopped believing in him, Tifa, who cared so much about him. The Tifa that stood before him was also _his_._ His_ friend. _His_ family. _His_ everything.

"Welcome home," she said, her smile warm.

Cloud smiled back. "I am home."

_His_ home. And the words sounded perfect to him.

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><p><strong>finite incantatum!<strong>

**jks, i'm done the fic. this is a one-shot**

**(but it doesn't have to be :P )**

**Hope you liked it**

**or like it**

**past or present, doesn't matter**

**or future?**

**man, i'm hyper tonight**

**please R&R or put it on your fav story list**

**much appreciated**

**thanks 3**

**...now if only i could write a Soul Eater fic this easy...**

**Goodbye [:**


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